Printing press



Jam 21, 1am, E. BOlSSEAU ET AL 1,744,205

PRINTING PRESS Filed Feb. 18, 1928 4 Sheets-$11861 1 66 INVENTORS Jan. 2!, "1930 E. BOISSEAU ET AL 1,744,205

PRINTIFHG' PRESS Filed Feb. 18, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 21, 1930. E. BOISSEAU ET AL 4 1,744,205

PRINTING PRESS Filed Feb. 18, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 21, 1930. E. BOISSEAU E! AL PRINTING PRESS Filed Feb. 18, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 62 54 6 g 'NmRs ATT EYS.

Patented Jan. 21, 1930 umr ao srAres PATENT OFFICE EDMOND BOISSEAU AND EDWARD J. DUFFY, OF NEW YORk, N. Y.

PRINTING I PRESS Applicationflled February 18, 1928. Serial No. 255,418.

The invention relates to printing presses, and more particularly to a novel and useful inkin mechanism for fast rotary presses.

Ob ects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations o pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and. improvements herein shown and described. I.

The accompanying drawings, referred'to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and

together with the description, serve to e'xplain the principles of the invention. Of the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a rotary printing press inking mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, looking at Fig.

1 from the right; i

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section, greatly enlarged, of the lower part of Fig. 2, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

and on the line 3--3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical transverse section, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detailed fragmentary vertical, transverse section, taken on line .5-5 of Fig. 2; and I Fig. 6 is a detailed fragmentary, vertical, transverse sect-ion of the air-inlet valve shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The invention has among its objects providing a more adequate, flexible and nice regulation for the inking supply of fast rotary presses, and especially for such presses using printing plates varying widely in their characteristics and requirements as to inking. An example of such variations is found in the illustrated newspapers, which upon one part of a plate cylinder will run possibly one or more half-tones or other illustrations, and on another part of the same plate cylinder will have straight letterpress matter.

50 Our invention provides a very nice, exact and flexible areal control for any and all parts of all the plate cylinders so as to secure the best results under all the diverse conditions and requirements of fast newspaper printing. Means are provided for this purpose which are manually settable or regulable and having this adaptability in cooperative relation with other setting and regulating means, both automatic and manual.

It will be understood, however, that while our invention finds one of its chief fields of usefulness in fast rotary presses, it is both applicable and extraordinarily efiicient with other kinds of presses and printing.

The invention is directed further to providing a general regulation and control of the inking mechanism and the ink supply to adapt them for use with different kinds or qualities of printing paper which may be used on the press. Such general or universal regulation, of the ink supply to fit the quality of paper used is capacitated to cooperate with the regional or areal control of the ink supply for all parts or areas of the variousplate cylinders or other printing surfaces rcquiring different amounts of inking.

There is further provided by the invention means cooperating with, and functioning simultaneously with, the controlling and regulating means already described, which automatically regulates and controls the ink supply to correspond to the speed of the press.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be primarily set forth later herein in connection with the detailed description of the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

' The invention comprises among its principal instrumentalities, in the present preferred embodiment, a source of ink supply under regulable pressure, adapted to give a continuous and uniform primary supply. This supply, which may be primarily regu lated as. stated, is further subjected to the control and regulation of a mechanism in speed responsive relation to the press. This mechanism automatically increases the ink supply proportionately with increases in the press speed, andv automatically decreases it proportionately to decreases in the press speed.

In sequential relation to the foregoing are devices for effecting a very nice and varied feed or regulation of the ink to different areas upon the plate cylinder, dependent on the needs or requirements of the particular kind of stereotype plate or other printing surface on the particular area of the plate. In conjunction therewith there is also provided a manual regulation, which cooperates with while leaving undisturbed, the regional regulating mechanism just described and which also cooperates with the press-speed-gov erned regulating devices (likewise already described). This manual regulation is adapted to regulate the entire mechanism for the quality or kind of paper being run through the press.

\ The invention provides further means for applying the ink supply resulting from the various governing and regulating devices to an ink-distributing cylinder, which may be the same as or similar to the corresponding,

device in the ordinary inking mechanism usually provided for fast rotary presses.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description of the invention, and the following detailed description thereof as well, are exemplary and explanatory of the invention, but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention, illustrated b way of example in the accompanying rawings, the invention is shown applied to a rotary printing press of the newspaper type, and is further shown as utilizing a part of the usual or standard inking mechanism for such presses. In the drawings (Figs. 1 and 2) the plate cylinder 1 of a rotary printing couple is journa-led at 3 in the machine frame 4.

Cooperating with the plates on cylinder 1 are the form inking rollers 5, which may be of any desired number and form. These form rollers receive their'ink from a distributing cylinder 6, having its shaft 8 journaled in the machine frame by bearings 9. One or more ink rolls, which may be of any known or suitable kind, cooperate With the cylinder 6. Any suitable or convenient form of drive may be provided for the cylinder 6, and as shown a spiral pinion 10 is fixed on shaft 8, and meshes with a spiral gear 11, fixed on a driving shaft 12, journaled in bearings 13 on the machine frame. The foregoing structure may be regarded as typical and may be varied as desired or as may be found most convenient or efficient. I 7

Referring now to the details of the present preferred embodiment of my invention, a source of ink supply under pressure is rovided, and this pressure may be provide by gravity, or b a pump or by air pressure, or otherwise. he supply of ink under pressure is represented in the drawings by a pipe 21,

coming from the source of ink under pressure (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). This ipe conveys the ink under pressure into a c amber 22, formed within a casing 23. This chamber 22 is supported on .one or more brackets 25 bolted to the machine frame. The ,chamber extends transversely and preferably horizontally, and is sufficiently long to accommodate a plurality of outlets, preferably horizontally-disposed, which convey the ink under pressure from the chamber 22 to the various regulating and controlling means later to be described.

In the present embodied form, the means for controlling the ink supply to conform proportionately to the speed of the press is next in sequence in the mechanism. In the embodied form thereof (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) a transverse and preferably horizontal row of outlet or exit openings 24 are provided on the opposite side of the chamber 22 from the ink supply pipe 21. These outlet openings are suflicient in number to provide the desired number of sub-divisions of independentlycontrolled inking areas upon the plates on the form cylinder.

Controlling the ink flow through all of the outlets 24 is a single valve mechanism, which is controlled and positioned by the speed at which the press is running. As embodied (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) a tapered cylinder 29 1s rotatively fitted into a transversely-disposed cylindrical opening 30 in the general casing 23. The cylinder and-the opening are tapered so as to always insure an ink-tight fit, while permitting easy rotative movement of the valve cylinder 29.

To further insure such tight fit and an easy rotation, the left-hand end of cylinder 29 in Fig. 4 is shouldered at 36, and a ball-bearing, comprising race plates 33 and 34, with an interposed series of balls 35, bear against the flat face of the shoulder 36 and encircle the concentric reduced shaft portion 37 A helical compression s ring 38 presses against the race plate 33, an against a closure plate 39, which is fastened to the side face of the chamber 23 by screws 40. Thus the tapered cylinder 29 is impelled to a close, ink-tight fit within its conical opening by spring 38, and the ball-bearing insures free rotative movement.

A plurality of channel-ways 41, corresponding in number and position to the outlet openings 24, extend through the valve cylinder 29, and diametrically opposite the ink outlets 24 are ink conduits 42, likewise corresponding in number and position to outlets 24 and valve openin s 41. Conduits 42 conduct the ink forwar ly to the other regulating and controlling mechanisms. The slight rotative movement of the valve 29 brings its valve channels 41 into more or less full registry with the outlets 24 and the corresponding conduits 42, and thereby determine the quanin a direction opposite to that of arm 53 is a rod 57 having a slidable counterweight 58 with a clamp screw 59.for variably ositioning the counterweight on the rod. provided for moving arm 53 to turn valve 29. As embodied, (Fig. 5) arm 53 has a slot 60 at its outer end in which a pin, fixed to downwardly extending arm 61, is adapted to slide. Rod 61 is variably positionably connected to the upper threaded end of a vertically-extending piston rod 62 of air cylinder 63 by means of a turn buckle 64. A check nut 65 serves to hold the turn buckle in position on piston rod 62. The air cylinder 63 may be of any suitable construction, being supported by bracket 66 attached to the chamber 23, and

having heads 67 and 68 riveted to the to and bottom respectively of the cylinder. iston rod 62 is adapted to slide in a suitable airtight opening in the cylinder head 67 and is provided with a piston head 69 thread-mounted on its lower end. The piston head may have pistonrings 70 for maintaining an airtight fit against thecylinder walls. An air vent 71 is rovided in the head 67 for escape of air on t e upward stroke of the piston.

Air-suction means are provided for operating the piston by maintaining a partial vacuum in the lower part of the cylinder. As embodied, an air-suction pipe 72 communicates with the bottom 68 of the air cylinder by means of a suitable threaded connection and extends downwardly therefrom. A horizontally-extending air-pipe 73 communicates with pipe 72 by means of a threaded T-shaped connection 74 which is suitably supported by an integrally formed bracket on one of the printing press supports (Fig. 2). Pipe 73 connects by diagonally extending pipe? 3 and horizontal pipe 75 to a rotary air pump 76 suitably mounted on a bracket 77 extending from the press frame.

This rotary air pump may be of standard type, the driving mechanism therefor comr1sing sprocket wheel 7 8 fixed on the shaft 9 of the pump. An endless sprocket chain 80 runs over the sprocket wheel 78 and also over a sprocket wheel 81, which is fixed on the shaft 8 of the ink distributing cylinder.

Thus the speed of the pump is synchronized with that of the press and consequently the Fair-suction developed is-proportional to the press speed. A variation in the press speed cans areincreases or decreases the suction in the air cylinder and the piston is thereby lowered or raised to change the position of the valve 29.

'Means are provided by our invention for initially setting or delimiting the amount of suction developed in the cylinder and thereby determining the position of the piston head 69 for a given press speed. This feature of the invention also provides means for varying the air-suction in the cylinder while the press is running, whereby the pressman or operative can easily change the position of valve 29 to vary the amount of ink supplied at a given press speed as may be desired. As embodied, T-connection 74 for joining 'air pipes 72 and 73 is provided with a right angled conduit 82 for the passage of air from pipe 72 to pipe 73. The other or right-hand portion of the T-head (Fig. 6) is chambered to provide an air inlet valve having narrow conduit 83 communicating with conduit 82 substantially at the vertex of the angle. Convalve seat and extends horizontally through the T-head the enlarged portion being threaded to receive a correspondingly threaded member having a reduced portion with a cone-shaped valve head adapted to cooperate with valve seat 85. A downwardly extending intake conduit 84 communicates with the conduit 83 at the beginning of the valve seat 85. Member 86 is provided with a check-nut 89 for maintaining it in position and with a operates se uentially, for each of the ink conduits 42, a ter the general control from the press speed already described.

'Referringnow to the details of structure of the embodied form of said devices, a plurality of longitudinally-movable valve cylinders 87 are provided, one for each ink conduit 42. The valves 87 are arranged in two rows in staggered relation, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, for convenience and compactness.

Each-valve cylinder 87 is disposed in the path of the corresponding ink conduit 42, and moves endwise of itself and transversely to its conduit 42. Each of the valve cylinders 87 is provided with a passage 88 similar in shape to the conduits 42 and adapted to pass moreor less into-andout of register with duit 83 is enlarged at 85 to -form a cone-shaped ink flow therethrough by the longitudinal movement of the valve 87. The valves 87 are each reciprocably mounted in cylindrical o enings 90 in the casing 23, and are prefera ly provided with gasket rings 91 on either side of the ink passage 88 to render them inkti ht. I

he heads of the respective cylindrical valves 87 have attached thereto means for effecting a nice and exact longitudinal movement of the valve cylinders while preventing rotary movement thereof, so as to maintam their openings in angular alinement with the ink conduits. The heads of the valve cylinders (Fig. 3) fit within cylindrical recesses in the bottom surface of rectangularblocks 95, the cylinders being fixed to the blocks by pins 96.

The respective blocks 95 are reciprocably mounted in guideways 97 and 98 formed of angle pieces (Fig. 6), one for each row of valves, and which are fixed to the under side of a valve-plate 99, by suitable means such as screw bolts 100. The rectangular blocks 95 have rotatively attached thereto, respectively, screw-threaded rods 107, which are screwthreaded into valve-plate 99, and are provided with suitable hand turning heads 108.

Thus each of the valves 87 is individually nicely and exactly positionable with respect to the valve-plate 99, and also with respect to every one of the other valve cylinders 87, thereby providing an independent andindividual control for the ink flow under pressure through each of the respective ink conduits 42, thereby to control the ink supply to the respective relatively small areas along and around the plate cylinder. The valveplate 99 is further positionable and controllable so as to provide a further general regulation and control of the ink supply through all the valves 87 simultaneously,

run through the press.

without disturbing the individual regulation effected by the setting of the separate valve cylinders 87, through their respective setting screws 10.7, which mechanism will now be described.

One of the purposes for which a general or universal regulation of all the valves 87 together might be desired without disturbing their individual relative settings, would be to control the ink supply to suit the particular quality or kind of pa er which might be uch a regulation or control would be necessary or advantageous coincident with the areal control which might pbe necessary or desirable for the different characteristics of the plates, such as the presence of half tones and letterpress on differcut/parts of a plate cylinder.

In the embodied form of said means for controlling the valve-plate 99 (Figs. 1 and 4) this plate at either end thereof is seated in supporting blocks 120, shouldered at 124 to receive the ends of plate 99 (only one block shown). The valve-plate is maintained against lateral displacement by flange members 118 and 119 projecting u ward y from the general casing (Fig. 3). T e valve plate. is attached to blocks 120 by suitable means, such as screw bolts 126 (only one shown).

Each of the blocks 120 is provided on its under side with beveled surfaces which contact and cooperate with like surfaces on two travelable wedge-blocks 138 (only one shown). The wedge-blocks are seated in suitable guide-ways formed in the structure of the general casing 23, to have longitudinal movement toward and from each other, to

'raise and lower valve-plate 99, but are constrained from lateral displacement.

The embodied form of actuating and controlling means for the wedge-blocks comprises a screw-shaft 146, having screwthreaded portions 147, at either end, screwthreaded respectively into the corresponding wedge-blocks 138. One screw thread is lefthanded and one right-handed, so that the Wedge-blocks simultaneously will approach each other or will recede from each other. The embodied means for rotating and positioning screw-shaft 146 comprises a bearing 151 in a bracket 152, bolted at 153 upon the genera]. casing 23. A collar 154 is fixed to turn with screw-shaft 146, the collar bearing on the inner face of the journal block 151. The hub 157 of an arm 158 is suitably fixed to rotate with screw-shaft 146 and bears on the opposite side of the journal bearing 151.

The above-described means for controlling the valve-plate 99 is more fully shown and described in my copending application, Ser. No. 129,673, filed August 17, 1926.

Suitable indicating means are provided, and as embodied, a calibrated dial 161 is fixed upon the bearing block 151, and a pointer 162 is fixed upon the arm 158. A stop or positioning pin 163 may also be used in connection with the arm 158. The calibrations of the dial will furnish an approximate indication of the setting for any particular quality of paper, or any other factors affecting the printing, and the experience and observation 'regulation.

Each of the screw rods 107 is preferably provided with an integral plate 178, which can be used with a gage interposed between the plate 178 and the top of the valve-plate 99 to give an initial or general setting'for all of the valves 87, the individual settings for the various valves being made thereafter from these positions.

Means are provided for conducting the various regulated streams of ink under pressure to the difi'erent parts of the inking mechanism, and in the embodied form (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) each of the ink conduits 42 delivers ink into a pipe 179. The pipes 179 communicate with individual means for supplying the ink to a relatively small area on the inkmg mechanism or plate cylinder in order to maintain the regulation throughout. As embodied, the pipes 179 discharge the ink into corresponding compartments (.not shown),

slots 187, disposed radially relatively to cylinder 6, and through which pass screw-bolts 188.

On the under side of each of the brackets 182 is a lug 189, having a true face, on which face abuts the ends of a screw 190, which is screw-threaded into a lug 191, formed on the machine frame, and provided with a locking nut 192. By turning the four screws 190, a a

very nice positional regulation of the supply reservoir relatively to the ink distributing cylinder may be secured.

The respective individual supply reservoirs terminate at their ink delivering end in narrow, horizontally-disposed passages 195, and there may be either one of these discharge passages, or a plurality thereof, for each of the individual reservoirs,

Below the series of discharge orifices is a concaved lip 196, having its exterior surface curved substantially on the radius on the distributin cylinder 6, and this lip extends in the irection opposite to the. rotational direction of the cylinder, This constitutes an effective seal and safeguard against leakage and spreading of the ink downwardly from the supply reservoir. A common lid or closure 197 is provided for all the individual supply reservoirs, and as embodied the lid is provided with a beveled nose 198. The lid 197 is held in position by suitable means, such as screw-bolts 201 and 202.

The construction and arrangement of the above-described individual reservoirs and discharge passages are more fully shown and described in my copending application, Ser. No. 129,673, filed August 17, 1926.

Themanner of operation of the mechanism will be clear from the foregoing descriptions of the operations of each group of mechanism, but a brief rsum may be given as follows The ink'is supplied under pressure through the pipe 21,-and the sup ly thereof is primarily regulated in accordance with the speed of the press by means of the valve 29, which is positionally controlled with the speed of the press by the cylinder mechanism. An absolute or basic relation of the ink supply to the press speed, can be determined y the press men through the valve 86, and the further regulation will be automatically effected by the speed of the press. If desired, the press man can further vary the basic ink supply by varying the setting of valve 86 while the press is running.

To further regulate the ink supply to conform to the varying inking requirements along the plate, dependent upon the nature of the plate, as, for instance, whether halftone or other illustrational matter, or letterpress, can be effected by the individual setting of the various valves 87. Here also a common or basic setting for all of the valves 87 may be primarily effected by the use of a gage between the heads of the screws 107 and the top of the valve-plate 99. The individual setting of the screw rods to either slightly increase or decrease the supply will be a very simple matter within the skill and experience of the press man.

Should further general regulation and control be desired, as, for instance, for a particular kind of paper run through the press, or for any other reason or factor, this can bev effected immediately and with the greatest degree of nicety and correctness through the handle 158. I A

From all the foregoing it will be understood that a mechanism has been provided constituting an exemplary embodiment of the invention, and realizing the objects and advantages herein set forth, together with other objects and advantages. It will be understood further that departures may be made from the exact meghanism as shown and described, within the scope of the accompanying claims, without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What we claim is 1. A printing press inking mechanism including in combination a source of ink supply and fluid pressure operatedmeans controlled by the press speed for regulating the ink supply.

2. A printing press inking mechanism 1ncluding in combination a source of ink supply under pressure and fluid pressure operated means controlled by the press speed for regulating the ink supply.

3. A printing press inking mechanism inply, an air pump running proportionately to the press speed and means including a valve controlled by the pump for regulating the ink supply.

8. A printin press inking mechanism including in com inatioii a source of ink supply and fluid pressure operated means including a plurality of valve ports controlled by the press speed for regulating the ink suppl ,9. X printin press inking mechanism including in com ination a source of ink supply and fluid pressure operated means including a plurality of valve ports controlled by the press speed for regulating the ink supply and individual conduits for conducting the ink forwardly to the press from the respective valve ports.

10. A printing press inking mechanism including in combination a source of ink sup ply, fluid pressure operated means controlled y the press speed for regulating the ink supply and an air-inlet valve cooperating 'with the fluid pressure means.

11. A printing pressinking mechanism including in combination a source of ink supply, fluid pressure means running proportionatel to the press speed, a valve for regulating the ink supply, and means controlled by the fluid pressure means for operating the valve.

12. A printing press inking mechanism including in combination a source of ink supply, air suction means running roportionately to the press speed, a valve or regulating the ink supply, and an air cylinder controlled by the air suction means for operating the'valve.

13. A printing press inking mechanism including in combination a source of ink supply, fluid pressure means running proportionately to the press speed, a valve for regulating the ink supply, means controlled by the fluid pressure means for operating the valve and means for initially establishing the basic relation of the ink supply to the press speed.

14. A printing press inking mechanism including in combination a source of ink supply, air suction means running proportionatel to the press speed, means for initiall esta lishin the basic relation of the in supply to t e press speed, a valve for regulating the ink supply, and an air cylinder controlled by the air suction means for operating the valve.

15. A printing press inking mechanism including 1n combination a source of ink supply, air suction means running proportionately to the press speed, an air-inlet valve for initially establishing the basic relation of the ink supply to the press speed, a valve for regulating the ink supply, and an air cylinder controlled by the air suction means for operating the ink supply valve.

16. A rinting press inking mechanism including in combination a source of ink supply under pressure, fluid pressure operated means controlled by the press speed for regulating the ink sup ly, and means for further controlling the ink supply areally along the cylinder.

17. A printing press inking mechanism including in combination a source of ink supply, air suction operated means controlled by the press speed for regulating the ink supply, and means for further controlling the ink supply areally alon the cylinder.

In testimony whereo we have signed our names to this specification.

EDWARD J. DUFFY. EDMOND BOISSEAU. 

